fairy tale whole-cloth quilt + an interview with this paper ship

Today, I'm so excited to reveal the first of two whole-cloth quilts I'll be launching this week! I've been collaborating with a few designers to design quilt tops for the shop, which I then have digitally printed onto fabric and turn into finished quilts. You can read more about my thoughts on whole-cloth quilts and why I've been exploring them here.

The first quilt in this collaborative series was designed by Joel and Ashley Selby of Saxapahaw, NC, the married duo behind This Paper Ship. Their adorable Fairy Tale quilt is now available in the shop, and will be made to order. Each quilt features a black-and-white bias stripe binding, a Carolyn Friedlander gray-and-white grid backing, and, of course, This Paper Ship's whimsical fairy tale-themed design. I hope you love this new quilt as much as I do!

Ashley and Joel so kindly took the time to answer a few questions for me while they awaited the arrival of their baby girl, who is scheduled to arrive today! I hope you'll read on to find out more about them, their work, and the inspiration for their quilt design!

Image source: This Paper Ship

Caitlin: Can you tell us a bit about your background and why you started This Paper Ship?

This Paper Ship: Going way back, we've both been obsessed with drawing for as long as we can remember. We met in a freshman drawing class and hit it off over a fabric study, kept drawing side-by-side throughout our design degrees, and graduated together. During our last year of college, we started an Etsy shop using our own illustrated wedding invitations as an example, and picked up our first client the day before our wedding. The economy was terrible around that time, which prevented us from ever getting our coveted entry-level design jobs, so we just kept plowing forward with self-directed work and paper goods! Seven years later, we're still crazy enough to continue to make a living off of drawing, and now even raise a family off of it. It's been a wild ride, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Image source: This Paper Ship

C: How would you describe your illustration style?

TPS: In a word: whimsical! We love bright colors, simple shapes, unexpected textures, hand lettering, and fun detail you can get lost in. Our style is made up of a combination of our two hands, since every drawing is a complete collaboration from sketch to ink to final touches on screen. It's taken a long time to merge our two (often) very different approaches to drawing, but it's been worth the effort, and we learn from each other nearly every day. We both like to approach the world with a sense of childlike wonder, though, so that's often our common ground on everything.

C: What have been some of your favorite projects to work on?

TPS: Other than our self-directed work, which 99% of the time ends up in our online shop, our favorite area to work on is the children's market. We both find that drawing things for an audience of children allows us the greatest freedom to play, to use our imaginations, and to really go for broke on bright colors! Specifically, we got the chance to illustrate for a bathroom line and a sleeping bag for The Land of Nod a few years back, which was awesome. We also really enjoy doing greeting cards and have had a good working relationship with American Greetings for a few years now.

Image source: This Paper Ship

C: Can you describe your studio in Saxapahaw, NC?

TPS: Saxapahaw is a hundred-plus-year-old cotton mill and mill village about 20 minutes west of Chapel Hill. The mill shut down 20 years ago but has since been rebuilt into a small community of businesses and loft apartments, and we're blessed to live and work out of one of them. We wake every day, walk downstairs with tea and coffee in hand, and go to work at a vintage drawing table and letterpress among the old brick walls, massive steel roof beams, and original floorboards pitted from cotton spinners.

Fairy Tale Quilt Sketch. Image source: This Paper Ship

C: Tell us about the stunning Fairy Tale quilt you designed for Salty Oat! What inspired the theme and color choices?

TPS: First, we had a blast doing this—it belongs among the projects in question 3! We had decided on a loose fairy tale theme for our baby girl due October 3 (still not here as of the time of this writing), so we took the basic idea of medieval European banners and used them as the basis for the quilt pattern. In the alternating rectangles with images in them, we drew objects that were personally meaningful to us, but also worked well as general heraldic-style symbols—a ship (for This Paper Ship), the fleur-de-lis of Florence (one of her middle names, where we honeymooned), a bird (inspired from a vintage wall decoration from Ashley's grandma's house), etc. For the colors, we wanted to go bright and make the design work for both boys and girls; we were inspired by Disney's immaculate Sleeping Beauty and their vibrant treatment of color in a Middle Ages setting.

Image source: This Paper Ship

C: Where can readers purchase your work? Any upcoming events or exciting projects you'd like to share?

TPS: We currently are selling solely at our Etsy shop, but are also working on a new shop site coming soon. The next market we'll be vending at is the Saxapahaw Holiday Market in early December at the beautiful Haw River Ballroom—come on out if you can, and you just may be able to meet little miss Sadie in her holiday best! We plan to do a lot of craft markets in the new year, which we'll be announcing on social media as we book them up (@thispapership on just about everything). We're also really excited to announce that we're finalists in the Martha Stewart American Made 2015 Awards, so we would be honored to have you go vote for us! You can vote up to 6 times a day until October 19. (You can see our profile and vote here.)

Thank you so much to Joel and Ashley for taking the time to answer my questions and for designing a quilt for the shop, and congrats to them on their growing family! You can find their quilt in the shop here.

exploring whole-cloth quilts

Each time I make a quilt, I spend a significant amount of time piecing the top. Depending on the size of the quilt, I spend anywhere from 2 to 13 hours rummaging through scrap bins looking for the right fabric, trimming blocks, ironing rows, and auditioning layouts on my design wall. While it takes quite a bit of time, I do love the process of creating a top. Piecing little bits of fabric together to create a larger design is so fulfilling.

I do realize, however, that not everyone is in a position to be able to afford the higher price tag that a time-intensive quilt requires. So I've been working on alternate ways to create quilts which cut down on production time, but still result in the high-quality product that my customers have come to expect from me. My gradual transition to machine-stitched bindings is part of this---hand-stitched bindings take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours, while machine-stitched ones can be done in 30 minutes to an hour and create a durable finish.

I've also started to experiment with creating modern whole-cloth quilts (sometimes also known as cheater quilts)---those with a quilt design already printed onto the fabric. By cutting out the need to piece blocks, the amount of time needed to make a quilt is significantly less, thereby reducing the price of the finished quilt. I find this idea so exciting, with limitless possibilities! So today, I'm excited to share with you the first quilt I've made using this process.

Of the whole-cloth quilt fabrics that I've come across (and there aren't many), most are rather dated in color and design, so I decided to design my own. I designed a simple yellow and white half-square triangle in Photoshop (Googling each step as I went!), which I ordered and had printed through Spoonflower on Kona cotton. I basted the quilt as usual, using an organic modern feather print for the back, and then quilted along each of the design's lines. Because of that quilting, the top actually appears as if it were pieced.

As I continue to explore the possibilities of whole-cloth quilts, I've asked a few other fabric designers and illustrators to design exclusive quilt tops for the shop. The initial sketches I've seen for the quilts so far are amazing, and I can't wait to share more with you in the coming months as we put the finishing touches on the designs.

In the meantime, this quilt is now in the shop. If you like it, but would prefer a different backing or binding, let me know! The beauty of digital fabric printing is that I can print the same quilt top an infinite number of times, and then add unique finishes to make it different each time. I'm very excited to see where this project takes me, and hope you are too!

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 33" x 39"
Fabrics used include: Of a Feather (Ivory) by Rashida Coleman-Hale; digitally printed Kona cotton; Hearts in Cherry Blossom by Umbrella Prints.
Quilt design: Salty Oat

sunday morning low-volume throw quilt

I've really loved every quilt I've made using patterns from Sunday Morning Quilts (see: my Up, Up and Away quilt and my improv slab quilt), and this latest one is no exception. Pairing the book's namesake Sunday Morning pattern with my low-volume scraps and strings, I constructed my new go-to summer nap quilt.

I included an eclectic number of fabrics in the quilt, ranging from vintage ditsy prints to hand-printed linen to vintage sheets to digitally printed Spoonflower fabrics. There are also bits of double gauze, lawn, and shirting in there.

I really love the more muted palette of these fabrics; I think this pattern would also pair especially well with Maze and Vale's lovely fabrics.

I used a floral vintage sheet for the backing, which I found while thrifting in Maryland a few years ago. I love using vintage sheets for backings, both because they're usually super soft and also large enough that there's no need to do any extra piecing.

I stuck to quilting it with a large grid, and machine bound the quilt with a yellow-and-white binding, my current favorite color combo. 

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 50" x 60"
Fabrics used include: Squared Elements in Honeycomb by Art Gallery Fabrics; vintage sheet
Quilt pattern: Sunday Morning by Cheryl Arkison 

embroidered heart mini quilt

This mini quilt started out as a simple embroidered heart, which I stitched for a class that I taught a few years ago. While I often frame my finished embroidered pieces in either hoops or on stretcher bars, I wanted to take a different approach for this piece.

I pulled a number of solid pink and red fabric strips to coordinate with the monochromatic satin stitching I'd done to fill the heart.  Keeping the heart as the center, I built a small log cabin quilt top. As I approached the outer rings, I incorporated strips of Umbrella Prints' Hearts in Cherry Blossom fabric, which seemed rather fitting.

When it came time to quilt it, I opted for dense, straight-line quilting in pink thread, something I typically reserve for smaller pieces due to its time-consuming nature.

I used the same Hearts in Cherry Blossom fabric on the back, which shows off the quilting and the fun texture it creates.

The heart was stitched from this digitally printed pattern I designed, which can be purchased from Spoonflower, if you're interested in stitching your own. One heart fits on a swatch and can easily be framed in a 6" embroidery hoop---or with any other method you can dream up!

And if you're interested in the mini quilt itself, it's now available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

black-and-white pow-wow quilt in cotton lawn

 

Just before I left Spoonflower, we added a super soft cotton lawn to our line-up. I was really excited for this fabric's release, as I knew it would be perfect for quilting (think Liberty of London's Tana Lawn). Wanting to make a quilt from it myself, I selected a number of low-volume designs from the Spoonflower marketplace, and the Marketing team kindly provided me with a stack of fat quarters to work with.

I quickly decided that I wanted to give Cluck Cluck Sew's Pow-Wow quilt pattern a whirl (I purchased it a number of years ago). Rather than using prints for the arrows and a solid for the background, as the pattern suggested, I switched things up and used a solid black for the arrows and the assortment of lawn prints for the background.

I really love the graphic pop that results from pairing the low-volume prints with a solid black, and how the prints create a subtle, yet interesting background. It's fun to spot faces, bow ties, and letters between each of the arrows.

The construction of the arrow blocks results in leftover half-square triangles, which I in turn sewed into a row, and set amidst a light gray cross-hatch print on the back, which shows off the zig-zag quilting beautifully.

I used a black-and-white striped binding (love!) to finish everything off, which I machine-stitched down.

With the remaining half-square triangles, I then pieced a complementary throw pillow cover. I really loved working with the cotton lawn---it was super soft---and I didn't have any issues pairing it with a heavier weight quilting cotton. I think the fabric gives both the quilt and the pillow a nice hand, making them perfect for snuggling.

Both the quilt and the pillow are now listed in my Etsy shop.

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 38.5" x 42.5" 
Spoonflower designs used: Gilhoolie Tulip in Peachy Pink by Gilhoolie; Letters by Anke Panke; Cute Faces by Anke Panke; Bow #2 Black on White by I Got Stripes Studio; Mod Baby Tiny Crosses Grey by Miss Tiina.
Quilt pattern: Pow-Wow by Cluck Cluck Sew

an embroidery stitch sampler

When I worked at Spoonflower, I had the chance to teach a number of classes in the company's public meeting space, The Greenhouse. Hand embroidery is one of my favorite things to teach---it's portable and so addicting---and with the ability to print patterns directly onto the fabric of your choice through Spoonflower, it was the perfect opportunity for me to design a few simple patterns for my students.

One of the first samplers I created was this stitch sampler. I quickly realized it was not a project that could be completed in a three-hour class (French knots take a long time!), but instead is best for stitching over time, as you learn and perfect your hand stitches.

Each word is stitched with the stitch that it represents---fern stitch, stem stitch, split stitch, satin stitch, chain stitch, running stitch and the French knot---and is framed with a back stitch and cross-stitch border. I kept my color palette super simple, using black floss for all of the stitches with the exception of the back stitch border, which was done with gold metallic floss. There are so many variations that you could try though; I think a color gradient, moving from light to dark, could be really beautiful.

Rather than using a hoop, I decided to staple the finished piece to canvas stretcher bars. The finished embroidery turns into an excellent reference chart to hang on your wall and refer back to as you stitch other projects.

If you'd like to try your hand at stitching up your own sampler, you can buy a pre-printed fat quarter in my Spoonflower shop (I recommend the linen-cotton canvas). Please be sure to share any projects you create with the hashtag #saltyoat, so I can see and share them. Happy stitching!

on the move + a big sale

So here's some news for you: my little family is moving to New England! While our four years in North Carolina have been amazing (and filled with barbeque, biscuits, and great friends), we're ready for new adventures and are looking forward to relocating to the greater Boston area.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be making the thrilling/scary transition from a full-time Spoonflower employee, to a full-time Salty Oat employee.  I've been bursting with ideas for this little business, and I'm so excited to have the opportunity to make them a reality. I'll be adding new fabric designers to the shop's roster, working on a collaborative quilt series with some talented people, and accepting commissions. I've also got a number of one-of-a-kind quilts waiting in the wings, ready to be added to the shop's shelves.

The shop will remain open through next Wednesday, April 29, and will then go on a brief two-week vacation while I pack up the studio here, and then unpack it in our new house. Until then, help me lighten my load by taking advantage of my biggest sale yet! Simply use the code "MOVE30" at checkout to receive 30% off everything in the shop, including all quilts, fabrics, and scrap packs.

P.S. Want to be among the first to know when future sales are happening? Sign up for the Salty Oat newsletter and hear the news before anyone else!

how to make fabric labels

I really love adding labels to everything I make; they add such a professional finish to my projects! I recently put together a tutorial for Spoonflower that walks you through how to make your own personalized fabric labels, which can feature either your logo or a favorite phrase. Pop on over to the Spoonflower blog for step-by-step instructions and more photos.

And in case you don't feel like designing your own, I also designed a simple "Handmade with Love" label (pictured above), which you can print out and use for your own projects. Happy labeling!

joy embroidery sampler

As a follow-up to my popular Hello embroidery class in September, I'll be teaching a second class in the Spoonflower Greenhouse on December 14. For this class, we'll be stitching up a holiday-themed sampler I designed, which features French knots and lots of satin stitching.

For more info and to sign up for the class, check out the event page here. In case you can't make the class, or want to stitch up a few samplers for holiday gifts, you can purchase your own here.

P.S. Today's the last day to use the code "THANKS" in my Etsy shop to receive 20% off your purchase!

hello embroidery sampler

Last week, I had the pleasure of teaching a group of 15+ students the joys of basic hand embroidery in the Spoonflower Greenhouse. For the class, I created a simple sampler, which incorporated four basic stitches: back stitch, detached chain stitch, fern stitch and French knots. I designed the pattern in Illustrator, with the help of a friend, and printed it on Spoonflower's linen-cotton canvas, a great fabric for stitching on.

The class was a lot of fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and learn a few new stitches. In case you're interested in stitching up your own sampler, I've posted the design for sale on the Spoonflower web site. It fits perfectly on an 8" x 8" swatch, and can easily be framed in a 6" embroidery hoop.

flying geese pillow class

There are still a few spots left in the Flying Geese Pillow class I'll be teaching in the Spoonflower Greenhouse on Thursday, May 9. If you live in the area, I hope you'll join!

spoonflower staff challenge: rocket ship quilt

For this year's staff challenge at Spoonflower, we were tasked with making quilts (here's last year's project). Inspired by the impending arriving of my half-Japanese twin nephews, my group and I decided to make a bilingual baby quilt. My teammate Jaysen designed the fabric, and I got to work on creating the quilt.

I used Elizabeth Hartman's Refrigerator Magnet Quilt Blocks pattern for the English characters. After mastering the art of piecing with freezer paper (my first time trying it!), I used my new-found knowledge to create templates for the rocket ship kanji. Many, many pieces and hours (and a few episodes of Alias) later, I had pieced kanji.

To keep things simple, I did organic straight line quilting across the quilt.

It was fun learning a new skill, and I have lots of ideas about how to use letters in upcoming quilt projects. You can learn a bit more about our project in this blog post my teammate Sarah wrote. 

Voting for the staff challenge goes through next Wednesday night. You can see all of the staff quilts here and vote for all of your favorites!